The Fatality of Death
by NekyuToi
Summary: When nuclear war suddenly becomes a threat between the opposing governments, Midgar and Wutai, Cloud Strife is called in as the only 'negotiator' capable of doing the job. Yet, will the beautiful and mysterious Aeris Gainsborough only distract him?
1. Rising

THE FATALITY OF DEATH

Chapter One: Rising

The sun was rising in the Eastern clouds, piercing through the clouds and casting its warm light across the countryside of Midgar. I yawned heavily as I slowly pulled my gaze away from the typewriter in front of me and stared blankly out of the window. I didn't know how long I'd been stuck at this desk, finishing a report for 'sheriff'; considering the stubble on my face and the smell that had enveloped the room, I would estimate longer than I would have hoped. Pouring a gin and tonic into a spotless glass from a flask I kept nearby, I swigged at it eagerly, wishing its calming effects upon me. Just as I set the glass down, I heard a beeping sound from close by; trying to ascertain the source of the noise, I realised the PHS Emergency Line had been set off. Thinking it was probably just one of the office babes trying to contact me desperately, I took out the PHS device and turned it on to send communication.

"This is Cloud," I began, as smooth a voice as I could muster. "requesting orders. Over." I chuckled lightly to myself, expecting any second the soothing, beautiful voice of one of my many female fans.

"Cloud!" Came a booming voice from transmission; I jumped with fright in my chair, not expecting to hear the voice of the 'sheriff' at all! "Cut the crap and tell me where you are, immediately!" the voice struck again.

"Sir, I'm in one of the outpost houses situated in the seventh quadrant grasslands exterior to Midgar. Over." I replied, with accurate profession. I couldn't imagine what the sheriff would be doing contacting me on the emergency line, though.

"Well, grab a suitcase and make your way into Central Midgar, boy!" the voice snapped; I could hear the sound of a cigar being smoked from the other side; it must have been a Cuban; the sheriff had a liking for those.

"R—right away. Over and out." I said, many thoughts rushing around in my head. Holstering my PHS, I took another swig from my gin and tonic and lit up a cigarette. What the hell has the sheriff gotten us into now?

I didn't have many things to take with me on the journey to Midgar; all I needed was a pack of Lucky's and a bottle of gin. My Colt .45 automatic stayed by my side, I didn't need to suffocate it into some dark suitcase. Grabbing the dull, metallic grey suitcase from my bed, I stuffed the train tickets into my overcoat and placed a hat upon my head. I didn't need any recognition on my way home, so decided to lay low as best as I could when aboard the overnight train to Midgar. The train station was situated quite far from where I lived, so I took my old trusty motorbike with me. Usually I would have driven straight into the city, but under new orders from the government, Midgar was closed to all vehicles except police cars and officials. The sheriff, Barret Wallace, an aging man with an itchy trigger finger, somehow managed to find a loophole in the system which enabled him to drive around his armour-plated Bentley in the city. I knew the real reason was the many backhanders that Barret participated in.

As I arrived at the train station, I cut the engine quiet and stepped off the bike, swaying slightly due to the effects of the gin I had drank earlier. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, I wasted no time as I ran to the platform, realising my train was to take off at any second. As the train departed from the platform, I ran as fast as my legs could take me. My fingers were just around the door handle, and I quickly pulled myself up onto the train. Many of the passengers looked at me in surprise, at how foolishly I had risked my life to board a train. It wasn't a good start; I needed total anonymity. Pulling my hat further down to obscure part of my face, I took a seat that was situated at the end of the carriage, far from the other passengers. I set my briefcase on top of the table in front of me and opened it, switching on the radio transceiver. Using the morse code I had learned beforehand, I signalled a message to HQ to notify them of me boarding the train. It was a pointless formality, but I thought it best to play things by the book this time; you didn't just get an emergency call for nothing, and the sheriff sounded serious.

I looked around the carriage, which was to be my home for the next 10 hours as it head towards Inner Midgar. I had prayed to the Gods themselves that I would never return to that cesspit of sin, crime and death, yet they must not have heard. Pulling out a flask from my overcoat, I unscrewed and helped myself freely to the cool liquid within; its soothing effects washed over me immediately as I slipped off into a quiet calm, where me and only my thoughts resided.


	2. The Train

Chapter Two: The Train

The motion of the train was beginning to irritate me now; I had only spent two hours on the damn thing and was now starting to regret the whole thing. I could think of nothing else but the city of Midgar, and the history between us; I never thought I would be returning so soon. It was one of the requests that I had made to HQ: to be located somewhere far from the city that had taken so much from me. As I swigged at a gin and tonic that I kept in a metallic flask, I realised that this assignment must have been an important one. The 'sheriff' knew about my dislike for the city, so he must have had a damn good reason to call me in, or at least I hoped so.

I glanced at my cheap watch, vaguely noting the time: it was near midnight. Once again I would have to contact HQ soon to let them know I'm still alive, but I needed to move; a family of four had situated themselves nearby, and I couldn't risk raising suspicion. Gently closing my briefcase, with contained the radio transceiver, I picked it up and stood up from the chair, making as if I was going to make a call, my PHS radio acting as a cell phone. As I walked down the carriage, I espied a beautiful Asian woman that was at the back of the carriage. Our eyes met as I moved onto the next part of the train, where the cabins were kept; I could have sworn that a faint smile came from her small, well-formed mouth as I passed her. I had never met this woman before, I was sure of it. As I gazed into the cabins, hoping to find a vacant one, I started laughing to myself silently; it had been a while since I had enjoyed female company, being stationed so remotely. Trying to supress my natural urges, I pulled open the door to an empty cabin and sat in the booth, resting my briefcase on the table. Shutting the curtains on the door, my watch glinted at me from the dim light; it was midnight. Not wasting any time- as punctuality was a feature admired in agents- I opened the briefcase and started relaying the A.O.K. message. Sighing deeply as the briefcase closed on top of its own weight, the flask of gin and tonic fell to the floor as I lay down on the soft cover of the chairs; I didn't want any more to drink, as the concoction was obviously dulling my senses. I felt tired, sick and exhausted, perhaps stressed that I would be in Midgar when I next opened my eyes. As the room spun slowly into haziness, I drifted off into a restless sleep.

When I next opened my eyes, I was not greeted by the morning sun through the windows, nor the conductor; I had heard a small noise, like a door closing, which had stirred me from my sleep. Before I had the chance to react, I saw something leap out at me in the darkness. I couldn't make out its form, but there was obviously somebody else in the cabin. Kicking out instinctively, the figure made a noise as my foot connected with its stomach. Not wasting any time, I kicked the light switch on, flooding the room with a bright, fluorescent light which blinding me for a moment. My eyes focusing, I saw with a mixture of exaltation and fear that the person in the room was the Asian girl from before, and this time she was not smiling. Holding a small, but very sharp-looking metal object in her hands, which reminded me of something oriental, she branded it coolly, not taking her eyes from mine. She smiled wickedly as she thrust with the blade. With all my strength, I banded out of the way, avoiding its sharp end; quickly I kicked the girl in her side as I moved toward the door of the cabin. She dropped the blade out of surprise and pain and hurried scrambled to pick it back up again. Before she could do so, I had already taken out my trusty automatic and had it pointed to her temple.

"Surely we can talk about things, first?" I asked, a smile upon my lips. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I pulled the hammer back on the gun; she stopped breathing instantly and turned her gaze to meet mine. Incredulously, she didn't flinch as she sat in the line of fire; she simply laughed and spat something in which I concluded was the language of Wutai—Wutainese. Before I knew it, she had grabbed the knife from the floor, heedless of the revolver I was waving around in her face. I had no choice, I had to pull the trigger.

I shut my eyes as the gun fired, quietened only slightly by the silencer I had attached to it long ago; I didn't want to see the remains of what was such a pretty face. Doing my best to avoid the sight of the bloodied corpse that lay before me, I stared at the wall as I fumbled about for my briefcase. I had to make a call.

"The only substitute for good manners is quick reflexes, sweetheart." I said with a smile, opening the briefcase yet not looking over at my new companion. Feeling that morse code may not be appropriate in such a situation, I took out my PHS radio and did something that the 'sheriff' did not like one bit; I broke radio silence.

"This is Strife." I reported, grinning that I was to annoy my boss so, "with a new report. Over."

"Cloud?" came a deep, gruff voice from the other end. It was my secretary, Jessie Allnight; I should have known that she would be on the other end. It was just like her to work late into the evening, especially on cases in which I was involved. We shared quite a little history together; that all ended when I left Midgar, however. "What are you doing breaking radio silence?" she questioned me, her voice softening as it retained a mocking tone.

"What are _you _doingup so late?" I replied, evading her question.

"Oh, Cloud," came a loud sigh, "you know how I just _love _dealing with your assignments. How could I tear myself away and go back to that lonely flat?"

"I got advice for you, dear, find a boyfriend." I wasn't usually so off-handed with the delectable Ms. Allnight, but as I glanced over at the person I had just murdered I realised that this was no social call. Before she could reply in disgust, I interrupted her quickly. "Jessie, I need to obtain radio contact with the sheriff, immediately." My tone was officious and monotonous. "There has been a triple X incident."

I was pretty sure that Ms. Allnight didn't need to check the code book to know what this meant; there had been a fatality already. I smiled, pulling a packet of Lucky's from my shirt pocket; perhaps this was a new record for me. I heard clicks and tones as I was patched through the sheriff; he would not be happy to be awoken at this hour. Lighting up the cigarette, I ignored the shouts and insults received on the radio.

"Sheriff," I began, cutting him off. "There's been a triple X incident in which somebody was killed." I tried my best not to inflect my voice with any kind of emotion; such things were not suitable whilst on the job. "From appearances, it would seem that she was an agent of Wutai. She also spoke in Wutainese before attempting to subdue me; I had no choice but to open fire."

_I had no choice but to open fire. _I knew those words very well; I had said them countless times over the radio. This girl would simply become another mug shot in my XXX Folder.

"You realise what this means." The sheriff began coldly; I could hear the pauses in between his sentences where he was obviously smoking a cigar. "If this girl is indeed from Wutai, then their government on the other side of the Red Wall have broken the peace agreement. This could have some serious consequences."

"Well, it's possible that she's not an agent of the Wutain government." I suggested, reaching for my gin and tonic flask. I needed it right now, that's for sure. "Is it not possible that she was acting for a non-government organisation, simply opposed to Midgar?" The sheriff was thoughtful for a while; I appreciated the silence as I swigged from the flask. The sheriff was not a stupid man, he knew what I was saying was correct. Hell, even I half-believed it; it wouldn't make sense for them to break the peace agreement like this. "So are you going to let me in over why I was nearly killed by some angry housewife?" I asked, sardonically. I felt I had the right to know.

"Not over the radio, you idiot!" the sheriff spat back; I turned red, my breathing irregular. _Of course, _I shouldn't have been asking for such delicate information over a _radio _broadcast. Anybody could be intercepting.

"Sorry." I coughed, quickly, "I'll see you HQ in… boron." My voice was cold and lifeless as I cut the transmission; at least I could remember some of the coding used in radio broadcasts so the sheriff wouldn't yell too loudly when I arrived in Midgar. When transmitting a radio broadcast, we were taught many phrases to use lest the enemy had intercepted the line; substituting ordinary numbers with the atomic numbers of chemical elements was one of these codes. I knew it would have to change soon, as the enemy weren't stupid.

Slowly closing my briefcase, as I held the red leather thing in high regard, I stood up from the seat and clasped it tightly in my hand. Tonight was going to be a long night, without any sleep; I would have to explain to the conductor everything. I was glad I had a phoney police badge issued to all agents, as it would help speed things along. As I left the cabin, I shut the door quietly, not looking back at the dead body of the girl from Wutai.


	3. Orders

Chapter Three: Orders

I arrived in Midgar dead on time; the train services had become more than adequate after the fall of the Shinra Train Branch. Now all the trains were privatised and owned by rich old guys with wives younger than their daughters. I stepped off the train with repugnance as the heavy smell of pollution engulfed my nostrils. As I glided through the train station as if in a dream, nostalgia washed over me; it was if I was stepping into the past as I wended my way through the countless people. I slid my ticket into the gate and stepped through it as it unlocked; all I wanted now was a cold, stiff drink.

Pulling my overcoat closer to me, as it was raining, I glanced up at the morning sky. Midgar was quite different without the plate covering the sky; it rained quite often on these plains, and it only added to the dreariness of the city. Hailing a taxi, the cabman dangerously drove up onto the kerb. I stepped back, in the vain effort of avoiding the splash from the road. As I stepped up to the window, I tapped on the glass, doing my best to conceal my anger from his utter contempt.

"To the Former Shinra Building, and make it quick." I spat, chucking him a 500gil note. He nodded his head and said something in a foreign language as he unlocked the doors and let me in from the rain. I glanced at the ID Card situated on the back of the driver's seat and noted his name: Deigo de Silva, from the Costa Del Sol; that would explain his foreign tongue. I watched the streets pass by me as the taxi sped towards the Former Shinra Building. Nothing had changed much; there were beggars in the street and people still had that miserable look upon their faces.

Eventually, we arrived at HQ. The building was large and ominous; it held several large adverts on the side of the building so it didn't look so threatening. I ignored them, for I had seen them many times before; they were simply ads for cigarettes and alcohol. All I needed was a pack of Lucky's and a flask of Gordon's. I pushed the large doors to HQ open with force and proceeded to reception. From reception came the familiar sound of a typewriter and a radio, blurting out the latest music sensations. I knocked, in an attempt to get some attention. From behind a door came a young girl, who I did not recognise.

"Ah," she smiled, closing the door behind her. "You _must _be Cloud Strife." She sat down at the desk elegantly and crossed her legs; I could see them clearly under the short white skirt she wore very nicely.

"I see you've heard of me." I replied, winking at her. I'd do anything just to see the sheriff and go to a bar as quickly as possible, and turning on the charm was a sure fire way to get this receptionist to do something.

"Who hasn't?" she replied, showing a white set of teeth that sparkled from her full, red lips.

"Well, as you are probably aware then," I began, "I have an appointment with the sheriff."

"I'm always updated." She chuckled, pushing a large red button which activated the lift in the lobby. "Go right ahead, and don't forget to say goodbye." She winked at me as I tilted my hat and waved goodbye; stepping into the lift I quickly undid my briefcase as the doors closed and pulled out my flask. Emptying the last few drops, I snapped it shut again and placed it in the briefcase, closing it as the lift reached its destination. I stepped out of the lift and into a carpeted hallway; there were various portraits decorating the walls, each showing a different image of a piece of land, or an old war site. As I passed, I made out Barret, the sheriff, in some of the photographs. I did not feature in any of them.

Knocking three times upon the wooden door to the Sheriff's Office, I waited patiently for his entrance. When I heard the familiar grunt, I opened the door; it creaked open into a darkened room. In the room contained a metal desk, a metal chair, a curtained window and a projector with a display on the wall.

"I see your tastes haven't changed." I smirked, eyeing the bare walls.

"Nor yours, by the smell of it." Barret replied, turning around on his swivel chair to face Cloud. "You're looking weak, boy." He stood up to full height; he was far taller than me, standing at around 6'5''. He held a proud expression upon his grizzly, dark face and smiled as he shifted his muscular frame around the desk. "As you're probably aware, Cloud, we've been having some conflicts with the government of Wutai. Peace agreements are under pressure, and all contact we've had with them recently has been strained."

"So what's causing this 'feud'?" I dared to ask, trying not to inhale the heavy scent of cigars from Barret.

"Well, we've reason to believe that the government of Wutai has recently developed strong ties with a neighbouring government: the Kingdom of Nibelhelm."

I knew that city very well; after the downfall of Shinra it had revolted against the new democracy and formed its own monarchy. In reality, the richest person in Nibelhelm simply wore a crown to formal events and met with foreign diplomats. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block out former memories of Nibelhelm, my own hometown.

"I know this is tough for you, Cloud." Barret began, his voice strong and commanding. "But you can't let personal issues stand in the way. Moving on…" he pushed a button on the remote he concealed in his hand, bringing the projector to life. There was a photograph shown, where I could see soldiers in Wutain uniform carrying what looked like a bomb with a familiar warning label upon it from the shore. "As you can see, this is most worrying." The sheriff continued, flicking through other photographs of similar description. "If the Wutain government has somehow obtained nuclear warheads then that means cause for action, wouldn't you agree?"


	4. Threat

Chapter 4: Threat

I looked over my shoulder as the taxi I had hailed passed me by in the street; splashing me with water, it drove away quickly. I wondered why it didn't stop for me as I whistled to call the attention of another one. Taxis in Midgar were very popular due to the almost complete ban on automobiles in the city; the new government would have banned taxis too, but they were content to create a new Carrying Tax and create a profit from them. The other taxi I had hailed passed me by, ignoring me completely. Angry and frustrated, I gave up searching for one and headed towards what looked like a bar; it had neon lights hung at the darkened entrance which glowed in the twilight of the city. The place was called Le Soldat, and it was non-descript apart from the lights and a sign which hung on the door. Chewing on the unlit end of a cigarette, I pushed the door open and went inside; I wanted nothing more than a stiff drink after the meeting with the sheriff.

As I stepped into the club, the tinkling of a piano in the corner met my ears; it was a slow, depressing song that was to set the mood for the rest of the evening. I glanced over at the pianist, who was an old black man wearing a suit of dark hues, a lit cigarette clamped between his teeth. Trying my best not to allow the music to sadden me, I sat at the bar and nodded my head at the bartender; I couldn't make out his features due to the dimness of the light. I pointed to a bottle of gin that stood opposite me, for I couldn't be bothered to speak. In a few seconds, a glass appeared in front of me. It was cold to the touch as I slid it between my fingers, my mouth already anticipating the sourness of the gin. My nostrils flared at the repugnant smell of liquor as I drew it closer to my lips. With one quick motion, I knocked the drink back, doing my best not to breathe as I did so. Like the ocean over the sand, the drink instantly washed away my tension as I exhaled and grimaced at the aftertaste. The bartender must have been watching me, for he had already began to pour me another. I did not decline.

I thought for a while about what the sheriff had told me; at least I wasn't called into the city for nothing. I cursed him as I sipped at my drink. In his office I had shouted and argued with him about the situation; I had said many months ago that I didn't want these kinds of missions anymore. I had already spent my time in the spotlight, and wanted to live out my life in peace. I recommended to him other members of the 'team' in a vain effort to get out of the situation, but in the end it was still me who had to endure it. Setting my briefcase upon the bar, I opened it and looked at the folder that was sat within; it contained a heavily documented account of the problem, along with names, photographs and transcripts. Barret had instructed me to locate a man named Mr. Coates, an arms dealer who had recently gained notoriety in Sector 1 recently; Barret and I both knew that this small-time fry was unlikely the source of the nuclear warheads, but it was a safe and easy thread to follow out. The sheriff had originally intended for me to gather a squadron together and use force to obtain answers, but this was quickly vetoed by the 'boss'.

After a while sat at the bar, smoking countless cigarettes and gazing into an empty glass, the old man had stopped playing the baby grand piano in the corner. As he stood, the various shady characters in the bar applauded him; their dull, monotonous claps were almost in unison as I joined them. When he left the raised part of the floor, another man came in his place. He was well-dressed, short, and did not smile as he approached the piano and sat down. Just as I was about to turn back to my empty glass, I noticed a woman trailing behind him. She came up close the pianist, whispered into his ear and then she sat down on a stool in front of him. I couldn't see her face, as it was hidden by a red veil. All I knew was that she had the sexiest body I had seen in Midgar yet; her figure was perfectly balanced, her breasts small, but firm, and the flimsy black dress she had draped across her slender frame highlighted the curves in her body as she picked up a microphone that lay nearby. It appeared that she was going to sing. I never was a fan of live music, so grabbed my coat with the intention of leaving. I made my way through the dirty, smelling, faceless people as I headed towards the exit, throwing one last glance at the singer's body. I froze solid as she lifted the veil from her face, revealing her delicate features. My mind took a few moments to register what I was seeing before me as I shook my head; thinking that maybe the gin had made me stupid, I shut my eyes tightly and re-opened them a few moments later. The same woman still stood by the piano, awaiting her cue.

Memories came flooding back to me in an instant as my mind finally recognised her beautiful face; haunting images flashed before my eyes as my heart skipped a beat. The singer was a woman I knew a long time ago; she had been a member of the 'party' in which I had associated myself with many years ago. I still remember the night she had suffered a bullet wound from when she was shot by my nemesis so many years ago. Her name was Aeris Gainsborough, and she was one of the most valuable members of the 'party', which was called The Avalanche. I still remember the days when she could get into any joint in the city just by winking an eye. However, the hours we had spent together, the words we had exchanged, were all just a distant memory now. I didn't think I could find the strength to speak to her again, or question her reason for being in such a dump, so I bowed my head and put on my hat as I pushed the door open into the dark streets. Yet again, it had started to rain as I attempted to hail a taxi; I smiled as one pulled up to the kerb; jumping inside, the driver simply nodded his head as I put a one hundred gil note through the holes in the partition screen.

"To Sector 4, the Car Depot." I snapped, more forceful than I had intended; perhaps I was still angry by being ignored so mercilessly by the other taxis earlier.

"Yes, we go there now." He replied with a heavy foreign accent. A Lucky Strike was planted firmly in his mouth; I'd recognise the aroma of that brand anywhere.

I let my eyes un-focus as I stared blankly out of the window, the heavy vibrations of the taxi soothing my every muscle. Doing my best not to fall into sleep, I couldn't help but think of Aeris on the way to the Car Depot. Waiting for me there was my own automobile, approved by the 'boss' and supplied by the 'sheriff'. Closing my eyes, I thought about Aeris' body. Man, it sure hadn't changed after all these years. She must be reaching thirty by now, but still managed to exude 'sex' from every pore. With a slight smile upon my lips, I heard a noise in front of me; squinting through my eyelashes, I could see the taxi driver staring at me in the rear-view mirror, sweating pouring down his forehead. His eyes darted from the road and then me quickly; I had seen this kind of behaviour before. It was how a man acted when he was nervous, or going to do something naughty. As I heard the familiar sound of a hammer on a gun being pulled back to load a bullet into the barrel, I went as if to yawn heavily. The driver turned his gaze back to the road as I raised my knees to my face, going as if to tie my shoelaces. Putting all the strength I could muster into my legs, I kicked out at the partitioning screen. With one almighty crash, it shattered into a thousand pieces as the driver yelled and veered from the road. I put my head between my hands as we crashed into a wall, sending the shards of glass flying. I exhaled deeply as the engine spluttered and died; I was simply glad I was wearing my seatbelt. I opened my eyes, only to be met with the haze of smoke from the engine. As it scattered and became thinner, I glanced over to the driver seat. The driver was not there.


	5. The Rain

Chapter 5: The Rain

I looked over again at the driver's seat through the smoke, lest my eyes were deceiving me. Surely, after a crash like that, the driver would have sustained severe injuries, enough to stop him in his tracks; yet the driver was still not there. Had he escaped as the smoke from the engine swept through the car? I hadn't heard the noise of a car door opening. I took out my silenced revolver and clasped it firmly in my now-trembling right hand. Quickly, I reached for the door handle and pulled on it hard, yet it would not budge. I had forgotten that the taxi driver had locked the doors after I had entered; I had simply ignored it at the time, thinking it was the usual. Without delay I tried the door on the other side of the taxi, but still no dice. Thinking that at any moment the driver could repay the damage I had dealt to him, I dove forward into the driver's seat and rolled out of the car, landing on my knees with dexterous precision.

I came face to face with my apparent assailant as he stood by the side of the road brandishing a pistol. Upon closer examination, the gun appeared to be a modified Luger; the hilt was longer than I had seen before, presumably to hold more bullets in the magazine. I smirked, realising that as I was identifying the gun death was staring me blankly in the face.

"All right, up on your knees." The driver ordered; his command of my tongue was far more intelligible than he had demonstrated earlier with a low grunt. "And lose the gun, pal." He added. It always irritated me how rude people were when brandishing a weapon. Doing as he said, for I could see no other alternative, I threw my precious revolver down into the dirt, where it landed with a dull thud. I realised now that it was just me and him; there were no other people about on this abandoned road. It was a connecting junction between Sector 3 and 4, and since almost nobody drove a car, it was unlikely that there would be witnesses to what I hoped would not follow next.

"What are you gonna do?" I began, in my most insolent tone. "Shoot an unarmed man?" I knew it was hopeless to appeal to some lackey's humanity, but it had served me well in the past.

"Do not pretend to me that you are simply a man so vulnerable." He smirked, flashing a sardonic smile; his voice held a strange accent that certainly did not befit the name upon his ID card, yet I could not place it. "I know who are you." He added, pulling the hammer back on the gun. I realised now that this was it; in a few seconds I would be a piece of meat, and replaced immediately by the sheriff to resume orders. I stared into his eyes, and saw nothing but the desire to kill, and shut my eyes instinctively when a gunshot rang out in my ears.

Deafening silence followed, where I was unsure if I was dead or alive. Opening my eyes so that I may not see darkness before death, I saw the driver before me keel over and fall to the floor, a look of shock in his lifeless eyes as he slumped over. Behind him stood the tall, slim figure of a woman I knew quite well; it was Aeris Gainsborough, the woman I had seen only hours before.

Her whole body shook as she held in her hand a small snub-nosed pistol, the kind of gun that usually missed at point blank. I could do nothing but stand still as she pointed the gun in my direction, seemingly entranced by what she had done. I made no sudden movements, lest the excitement that coursed in her veins were to let off a stray bullet in my direction; I wasn't too worried though, I knew that a woman so inexperienced in firearms could hit me with such a gun from that distance. I threw a quick glance at the body of the driver that lay by the side of the road; she had shot him in the back of the head.

"Aeris." I whispered, not wishing to startle her. "Lower the gun, all right?" I tried hard to put on my most softest of voices, something I had not done in a long time. My voice raspy and croaking, I repeated again what I had said. Her eyes softened as she heard me speak.

"Cloud." Aeris said flatly, her eyes watering with tears; although I should have been preoccupied with other matters of more importance, I realised that it was the first time in many years that we had exchanged words. I had forgotten how sweet and light her voice was, like a cool breeze on a summer day that relaxed your muscles and caressed your body.

"Aeris, just lower the gun, okay?" I repeated, for what I hoped was the last time; I grew tired of the situation and wanted to contact HQ immediately for a status report; I did not wish to be so cold in such a matter, but many years of turmoil and despair had turned my heart to dull, grey stone.

I stared out of the window from my hotel bedroom, watching as the rain fell to the streets below. My eyes darted around the street, following woman and men as they held fast onto their umbrellas to prevent them blowing away. The night sky had darkened now, and stars dotted the horizon. Behind me, I heard the door to the bathroom close, and I turned my head to face my saviour. Aeris leant against the dark wooden door, a filtered cigarette held between her delicate fingers.

After she had shot the taxi driver, I had acquired the gun from her and taken her with me as I alleviated the dead man of his vehicle; he certainly wouldn't be needing it after all. In the automobile, she explained to me what she had been doing there, her voice quivering and fast as a machine gun. She told me how she had recognised me in the dive she was performing in, and did not hesitate to follow me. Wondering how she could have caught up with the trafficking laws, she added how she had obtained an abandoned police car, given to her as a gift from an ex-lover.

For a while neither of us spoke; we simply looked upon the elaborately pattern carpet on the floor. Feeling as if I were wasting time admiring the décor, I was the first the break the silence.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, my tone flat and lifeless to my ears like a robot. Aeris slowly dragged on her cigarette, exhaling slowly as her eyes followed a white cloud of smoke that drifted towards the ceiling; her eyes were beautiful as they reflected light from the elaborate gas lamp that hung on the wall.

"Better than the other guy." She replied. She attempted a small smile, which conflicted with the look of anguish in her eyes.

"…What you did was right." Was all I could think of to say; it was always difficult after the kill, I knew, no matter how many times you did it.

"What I did was murder."

"You saved my life, Aeris. You did not murder him, you were protecting me."

"So what's gonna happen now?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears. "Am I gonna go to prison?"

"No." I replied, hoping she would not turn hysterical. "I will admit to the killing of the taxi driver in self defence."

"Cloud!" she suddenly exclaimed, drawing closer to me. I could see the pallor and despair in her face as she glided closer towards me. "You know that even in self-defence, killing carries a life sentence. I couldn't live with myself knowing I had sent you down."

"It'll be fine." I said coolly, unscrewing my hip flask and savouring the familiar smell of a gin and tonic.

"How can you act so care-free? And why on Earth was he trying to kill you in the first place? Couldn't pay the fare?"

"I can't tell you what I don't know. All I know is that it's over, all right? It's over!" my voice grew intentionally louder as I stood up from the window ledge. I was fatigued and angry at the luck of my day, and all I wanted was to be alone. Aeris had saved my life, and for that I would be eternally grateful, but I just wanted to do the job and finish it.

"How can you be so cold? What is happening?" her voice broke as the tears came strong; I diverted my eyes from her piercing stare.

"Look, I'll deal with it, okay? So I suggest you leave, now."

She faltered for a moment, standing still. Sudden realisation crossed upon her face, and I knew that she had figured it out.

"You anticipated this, didn't you?" her voice grew louder and higher in pitch. "Of course." She began to laugh hysterically now, slapping her forehead and waving the cigarette around in the air. "You're working for Barret again, aren't you?" she ran the rest of the room up to my face, where I could see her chest rising and falling with her panicking breath. "That's why you had a gun, isn't it Cloud? That's why you had someone trying to kill you, isn't it?" she cried, grabbing my shoulders; I was too tired to break free as she continued to dissect my life as it was now. "How could you be so stupid and fall into such a life again? Do you want to die, Cloud, is that it?" she shook me in her warm grip as the smoke from her cigarette wafted into my nostrils; I could smell that she was still smoking menthols.

"Stop it, Aeris!" I commanded, flatly, pushing her violently away from me. A pang of guilt hit me as she staggered backwards, swaying as she balanced herself on her long, frail legs. "It's none of your business what I'm doing with my life now. You made the choice to involve yourself the second you stepped out that bar and followed me. Don't you dare rebuke me for my life choices when all you have to show is a career in a seedy bar in the slums!"

As soon as the words had left my mouth I had regretted them; I felt disgusted with myself for speaking to someone I had adored so much in the past. And even now, she had protected me like she had done countless times before, yet I had remained so cold and callous toward her. She did not reply as she her hand drifted by her heart and she turned on her heel, leaving me alone in my darkened hotel room.


End file.
